OK. Is May over yet?

Big Sigh . . . . Well, since the end of April I have been in a FUNK. Talking with a friend today I figured it out. It's May! I miss my mommy.

Usually I see it coming, but this year it sort of took me by surprise. Which is actually a good thing. We lost mom to lung cancer 18 years ago, May 23, 1991. :(

I still miss her every day. But this year it didn't hit me like a stack of bricks. I actually thought it would be worse this year, because we just lost Dad a year and a half ago - and just had his ashes buried last summer. But maybe it was that closure - having the two of them buried together, that helped me reach a new place.

I miss them both.

This year WAS easier than others. But I am still ready for June. . . . . . .

Friends, Food and Yarn!

Who could ask for more???????

These are some of the ladies that I knit with on Tuesday nights. (The fun ones!)

Monica, and Adele are part of the local chapter of 'Linus Blankets' where they met Netta (on the other side of me) and Netta met Donna on Ravelry (where she also met me) and they all started coming to my Tuesday night crafting at BAM (Books A Million).
Netta used to live in the Fort Lauderdale area, where she used to knit with most of these other ladies . . . . The Sweet Stitchin' Betties. (That's us, mostly to the right) We all met up at Gabriella's yarn shop in Naples, FL. Seventeen of us!

We had a fantastic time, and Gabriella gave us all a 20% discount. She was a very friendly, helpful shop owner.

If I find myself in Naples, (it's 1 1/2 hours south of home) this is the shop I will go to. We went to another shop after lunch . . . let's just say she didn't go out of her way for us. She balked at the request of matching the 20% off discount, and she even charges for bags! Can you imagine?

We went to Mel's Diner for lunch after the first shop - and funny thing, we were all STARVING! We worked up quite the appetite petting all that yarn!!!

It was a great day with great ladies! I could happily do this once a month!

Oh! And before I forget, this was my combined catch . . .

Well, the freeze we had last month killed a lot of our landscaping, as you can see from all the bare spots in the picture. (and the dead palm leaves creeping into the picture.)

But our family heirloom Amaryllis' held strong (the one thing we covered) and are all in bloom at once this past week. They are beautiful!

I love spring!

I knew it!!!!!

I knew it!!

And now . . . I have "scientific" proof!

My Daughter turned 18 just ten days ago, and today . . . .

she couldn't open a 'child-proof' lid!

Interesting things at the fair . . .

This is an old SINGER that has been re-engineered into a scroll saw! Isn't that cool?!

And this portrait of Abraham Lincoln, was made by a 14 year old boy! He used 3002 pennies, and it weighs 75 lbs.

The cool things you see at County Fairs!

Where does the time go?

My DD turned 18 on Monday. I'm still in a bit of shock.

Where does the time go? I swear it wasn't but last year she was talking about being "old enough to drive soon".

About a year before that, she was excited about being a teenager soon...

It's FAIR time in SWFL!

Did some demo time at the local Sarasota County fair this past week, with some of the ladies from my local weaving and spinning guild.

DD came and did some knitting too (between walkabouts and cotton candy runs!) She even brought a friend one day to knit with her.

I love doing demos! I really enjoy explaining to people who show interest in the wheels or the yarn.

I was there, honest. Just not in any of the pictures because I took them all.
:)

Did I tell you my cat was musically inclined?

Latest Project

This is the first half of an afghan I am making for one of my nieces. She wants to do her new place in "Old Americana". I couldn't resist. When I was there over the summer she sweet talked me...

"Aunt Tammy... I still have the baby blanket that you made for me... (big smile, fluttering eyes) I would LOVE a full size afghan." How can you resist that?!

Anyhow, this is the most recent picture I have taken. I am almost done, having added three and a half more stripes. I still have to crochet the stars and sew them on too. Am thinking I will only do thirteen. More authentic "Americana". I am quite pleased with it so far.

It's been awhile (again). Sorry. Things got a little crazy over the last few months, and I have been very distracted.

But, I want to try to get something posted on here more regularly. So here goes.

Have you heard of ROC DAY? Also called Distaff Day, here is the definition from Wikipedia:

Distaff Day, also called Roc Day, is 7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, since it was not really a holiday at all. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work. Often the men and women would play pranks on each other during this day, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides.
Some modern craft groups have taken up the celebration of Distaff day as part of their new year celebrations.

A guild North of us (about an hour and a half) put on a ROC Day celebration this past month, on the 10th; and my DD, a friend and I all joined them. DH had been wanting to go to the beach, so I convinced him to drive us up there and drop us off, then go to the beach for a few hours. :) Such a good guy!

It was held by the Pinellas Weaver's Guild, at the Heritage Village in Largo. We had a blast! It was a beautiful day and we sat outside next to the porch, right next to . . .

This Model T!

The gentleman who owns it was right there answering questions, and allowing people to sit in it for pictures. My DD HAD to get in on that!

We walked around a bit after, and took a few pictures. This register was over 100 years old, and still works!

It was a GREAT day! There were spinners and weavers and VENDORS - GREAT day!

Isn't this awesome? My good friend Bobbi sent me this beautiful Kauni yarn to make a Jeanne Townsend shawl along with her. I haven't started it yet, but I have showed it off a lot and admired it more. :)

This is sort of a blurry picture. But it shows the colors in the yarn ball.

I am displaying it (as per Bobbi's instructions) on my new bookshelf DH made for me recently for my craft room. She also sent me the proper size needles to do the shawl, and in this way got me to try the Knit Picks Harmony interchangeables.

DH lost his job at the end of September - boy this economy really sucks!

But it has given him time to rearrange all the furniture in the house, go through all of our possessions and purge (since he is a minimalist and DD and I are pack rats!), and make me a bookshelf for my craft room!!!!!! Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving !

Contest!

The Nautical Knitter wants your opinion on which project to knit next. Pick a numbered bag, and enter to win. :) http://www.nauticalknitter.com/

Close up of the border

Here is a close up of the border we used on our bedroom walls. Isn't it cool?

I LOVE IT!

Has it really been 2 months?!

OMG! August 13th?

I can't believe it has been that long since my last post here! Geez! It just seems that one thing after the other has come up, and I keep thinking I'll get to it later.

WOW! I didn't expect it to be this much later!



In the last couple of weeks we have been working on finishing the painting of the house and puting stuff up on the walls.






















Our room was the last to get painted - we quit last year after the front living areas and DD's room. I'm glad we got back to it, I love the way it turned out!